BGA: Scouting Jason Hill

Yesterday, the Jets signed free agent wide receiver Jason Hill. Jets fans might not know too much about Hill, so I’ve been looking at game footage in detail to investigate what he could bring to the table.

Hill had signed with the Denver Broncos in the offseason, but failed to make the final roster and had been sitting unsigned since then. He's been in the league since 2007, but never lived up to his initial potential after he set records at Washington State and ran a 4.32 at the combine, enticing the 49ers to draft him in the third round.

After the jump, I look in detail at footage from Hill's time in the league to evaluate some of his strengths and weaknesses.

Who is Jason Hill?

Hill is probably best known, especially among Jets fans, for trash talking the Jets and Darrelle Revis prior to their game against the Jags last season. Hill was inactive and the Jags lost 32-3. However, he has plenty of NFL experience catching 70 passes for 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns. During his first season, he struggled with injuries, catching just one pass in five games. However, he started to emerge in his second season, ending up with a career best 30 catches. He caught four passes for 39 yards, making a couple of nice plays in a late season game against the Jets, where Shaun Hill led the Niners to a 24-14 win, putting a dent in the Jets' playoff hopes. 2009 was a disappointment as he was mostly inactive and only caught nine passes and in 2010 he was waived, re-signed and then waived again by the 49ers, but was picked up by the Jaguars and did a pretty good job for them over the last few weeks. He caught 25 passes with the Jaguars last year in just ten games, which was second on the team. He also set career bests in yardage (367) and touchdowns (3). Even so, he was released at the end of November, as the Jaguars decided to give more playing time to some of their younger receivers.

The Numbers

Five seasons

50 games

13 starts, of which 10 were in 2011

76 catches, 1,028 yards, eight touchdowns

13.5 yards per catch (10.1 with SF, 17.1 with Jacksonville)

63% catch rate (83% with the 49ers, 49% with the Jags)

Five drops, of which four were in 2011

Two carries for five yards (nine yard gain and four yard loss)

One fumble (not lost)

One kick return for 30 yards

17 special teams tackles, including 10 in 2008, three missed tackles, one penalty

Five drawn penalties, Four offensive penalties committed

15 20+ yard plays and three 40+ yard plays

Already we can infer some things just from the numbers. Hill can clearly make some long plays (check the highlights Bassett posted earlier to see some of these), but he can also operate effectively as more of a possession receiver type. His horrible catch rate numbers in Jacksonville can be partially attributed to the struggles of Blaine Gabbert, but the book on him in 2011 was that he didn't emerge as the number one receiver they were hoping and he dropped too many balls - with many of them apparently coming on slant patterns - which was unusual since drops had never been an issue with the 49ers. We also know Hill is confident, maybe irrationally so, based on the Revis comments.

Observations

Based on all the regular season footage I watched, here was my take on what Hill brings to the table, divided into categories:

Usage - In 2008, he was primarily a slot receiver, but in 2009, 2010 and 2011 he was mostly on the outside. With the Jets, I'd expect him to remain in that role.

Deep threat - Hill's career numbers on throws more than 20 yards downfield are 8-for-23 for 282 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. That's not actually a bad percentage (35%) when you consider that both Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes were at 30% in 2010. In fact, Hill's percentage was much higher than that entering last season, but he was just two for 10 on throws more than 20 yards downfield by Gabbert. To see Hill going deep, see Bassett's clips from earlier, which comprised a 74 yard touchdown and a 37 yard gain on plays where there was a coverage breakdown and a 48 yard touchdown on a play where he burned safety Michael Huff.

Blocking - Hill has average size, but did make some good blocks. In particular, he showed a good ability to come from the outside to set the edge on a linebacker or defensive back, although there was one play where he tried to do that to Manny Lawson and got driven into the backfield where the runner tripped over him. He also made some good downfield blocks. An example is here, as he sustains his downfield block on Nnamdi Asomugh at the 40-yard line to set up a long touchdown run. He also reacted well on a broken play to take Reggie Nelson out of the play.

Routes - In all the footage I watched, there were just three plays where there was a miscommunication between Hill and the quarterback, although you can never tell whose error that was. However, there was one where he stopped his route and allowed OJ Atogwe to jump in front of him for a pick. In terms of his technical route running ability he showed an ability to get open on simple in, out and curl routes. He also showed an ability to improvize downfield when a play breaks down and obviously has the speed to run an effective go-route.

Hands - Until last season, Hill only had one drop in his NFL career. However, in 2011 he dropped four passes, three on slants and one on a bubble screen. He also had a very low catch rate. He didn't make too many highlight reel-type grabs, with perhaps the best ones being a tough diving catch with a man draped all over him and a juggling catch on a ball thrown behind him, both with the Jags.

Yards after the catch - Statistically, he didn't light it up in this category, averaging between four and five yds after the catch (which is basically average) in every season but one (2009, where he only caught nine passes). However, as a measure of how good he is at making extra yardage, he broke a total of 20 tackles from 2008 to 2011. By way of a comparison, Santonio Holmes broke 32. However Hill had 75 catches over that timespan, whereas Holmes had 259, more than three times as much. There were plenty of examples of this, including a play where he slipped one tackle and span out of another on 3rd and seven to get to the marker (only to be victimized by a bad spot). On another play, he broke Cortland Finnegan's tackle on the outside and then another tackle downfield for a 24-yard pickup down the sideline. In that game against the Jets in 2008, he broke Dwight Lowery's tackle on a slant route and almost scored, only to have Hank Poteat knock the ball loose at the goal line for his only career fumble. He also converted a third down by breaking a Revis tackle, perhaps explaining in part that over-confidence.

Special Teams - On special teams, he was pretty productive in kick coverage and employed as an effective primary gunner on the punt unit with San Francisco. I don't know that he'll be as effective in that role now he's a little older, but he definitely made some impressive plays.

Demeanor - As you'd probably expect, given the confidence his Revis comments showed, Hill is pretty excitable, gets fired up after big plays and shows some cockiness. Maybe that's something this team could use. However, reports suggested that he was disgruntled with his lack of opportunities in 2009 and displayed poor body language, so it might be a challenge to keep him happy.

2012 Preseason

As noted earlier, Hill was with the Broncos in preseason. He had a good game in Week 1, but didn't do much thereafter. Here's a detailed breakdown of the plays he was involved in:

Week 1 at Chicago

- With four minutes left in the second quarter, he looked sharp as he caught a pass on an in-route from the outside and slipped two tackles, stopped just short of the goal line on a six yard play.

- Went deep down the sideline but the pass hung in the air and the safety came over to break it up.

- Lined up out wide and made a catch over the middle with a defender on his back for 10 on 2nd and 11.

- 19-yard TD on a quick slant as he caught the ball in stride and dragged the defender over the goal line.

Week 2 v Seattle

- Late in the third quarter, he lined up as a gunner on the punt team and made the tackle, getting off his block to shove Leon Washington out of bounds. However, he didn't get down there too fast and it was a 12 yard return.

- Hill was in on 10 offensive snaps, but only targeted once. He was open on the outside, but the throw was wide and out of his reach as he made a diving attempt.

Week 3 v San Francisco

- With 2:36 to go, Hill caught a 21-yard pass but it was negated by a holding penalty. The protection broke down and the quarterback started to scramble, then flipped a shovel pass to Hill in the flat. He broke a tackle to get the downfield yardage.

- On the next play, Hill ran a curl route downfield, but dropped the ball badly as he started turning upfield before securing the catch. This was his only official target for Hill in 27 snaps.

Week 4 at Arizona

- On the third play of the game, Hill caught a pass but was stopped for no gain. Patrick Peterson read the bubble screen perfectly and dropped Hill as soon as he caught the ball.

- Shortly before half time, he went deep, but Mike Adams made a leaping breakup as he was right with Hill. He was just targeted twice in 37 snaps.

Conclusions

I'm not sure what kind of shape Hill will be in, but in preseason he looked pretty sharp, other than that one drop. In terms of how he can be best used by the Jets, I'm not sure that's been determined yet. In his career so far, he has been a possession receiver (with a high catch rate and a low average) and more of a downfield threat (with a high average and a low catch rate).

Hill is an NFL-level talent with some good physical ability, but has never really lived up to his potential and - as you'd expect from anyone available at this point of the season - isn't close to being an elite receiver. However, he has some experience and some residual upside, so it could prove to be a positive move for the Jets.

I'd expect his reps to be restricted at first, because he'll need some time to learn the playbook, but once he's ready (assuming he's in good shape too), I'd expect him to compete for playing time with Stephen Hill and Chaz Schilens on the outside. Hopefully, the Jets will have upgraded the position here, but read what you may into the fact they can do that with an unsigned veteran off the street.

Jets re-sign DL Xavier Cooper for 2018 season

Mar 19 | 8:14PM

Cooper began the 2017 season with the 49ers before becoming cut in late October. The Jets scooped him up on Halloween, and he ended up playing eight games, totaling 10 tackles and one sack in the process.

The 26-year-old filled in during Muhammad Wilkerson's suspenion, and impressed as a fill-in. He will likely be vying for a depth role on the defensive front as well this season.

Could the Jets fill some of their needs via trade?

By Bent | Mar 19 | 7:43PM

Now that the first and second waves of free agency are winding down, NFL teams are fairly limited in their options. There may still be upgrades available, but most players still on the market are damaged goods in one way or another.

However, with plenty of cap space still remaining and, let's face it, several positions at which they could still upgrade, perhaps the Jets are in a position whereby they could explore the trade market instead.

The Jets just gave up three second-round picks to move up in the draft, probably taking them out of contention if a star player like Dez Bryant became available. Perhaps they could trade for someone without reducing their total number of picks by way of a pick exchange or even deal a veteran player from a position of strength. Would they be prepared to trade Bilal Powell, Jermaine Kearse or one of their young backup receivers or cornerbacks?

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Daily News Live: Which QB will the Jets pursue?

Mar 19 | 6:16PM

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Forecasting the NFL Draft00:05:05

Ralph Vacchiano joins Daily News Live to discuss which quarterback the Jets might take with their No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

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Bridgewater excited to be a part of 'ambitious' Jets team

Mar 19 | 4:00PM

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(Brad Rempel)

The Jets' newest QB Teddy Bridgewater can't wait to be a part of what his new team is building.

The 25-year-old made his move to the Jets official on Sunday when he signed a one-year, $6 million deal that has $9 million in incentives tied to it. He becomes another young asset for the Jets, and he couldn't be any happier to try and revitalize his career in this environment.

"I'm excited about the direction we're headed in," Bridgewater told Jets.com's Ethan Greenberg. "I'm excited to be a part of something that can be very special and I just look forward to getting to work with the guys and a great year."

Here is the most up-to-date information on whom the Jets have added and lost during free agency, including contract details and salary cap information. The official signing period begins Wednesday at 4 p.m., so be sure to bookmark this page and check back for frequent updates.

JETS SALARY CAP SPACE

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Jets could take shot on WR Terrelle Pryor

Mar 19 | 12:00PM

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(Brad Mills)

The Jets may be looking to bring in more offensive help as free-agent WR Terrelle Pryor is expected to visit the team on Tuesday, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed.

Pryor, who is currently meeting with the Seahawks Monday, will fly directly to the east coast for his meeting tomorrow.

He was a big free-agent target last offseason after producing a 1,000-yard season on 77 receptions with the Browns in 2016. He eventually signed a one-year, $6 million pact with the Redskins, but his production fell drastically due to injury.

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Jets missed out on dynamic offensive weapon in Jerick McKinnon

Mar 19 | 12:30PM

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The Jets made a solid offer, but it wasn't enough to land one a dynamic weapon in RB Jerick McKinnon this offseason.

McKinnon was high on the Jets' list of players they sought with their generous cap space this offseason, according to the Daily News' Manish Mehta. However, he eventually signed a four-year, $30 million deal with the 49ers that includes $12 million guaranteed for next season.

Like the Jets, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan understood how versatile McKinnon's skill set could be in his offense, which is why he made such a hard push for him. Jets' OC Jeremy Bates and run-game coordinator Rick Dennison both worked under Kyle's father, Mike Shanahan, so it isn't surprising a player like McKinnon was high on their radar.

What's next for the Jets this offseason?

Aug 12, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan reacts on the field before a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Armed with $90 million-plus in salary cap space and extra draft picks, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan has been a busy man the last few days. He's reshaped his roster, reset the quarterback position, and possibly put his franchise in contention for the next few years.

Mike Maccagnan makes legacy-defining trade: He better be right

Ernie Accorsi knew back in 2004 that he would always be remembered as the GM that brought Eli Manning to the Giants. Whether it worked out or not, that would be his legacy, regardless of everything else he accomplished in his career.

That's the way it now is for Mike Maccagnan. He began to define his legacy as the Jets GM with the bold trade he made on Saturday to ship three second-round picks to Indianapolis to move up from 6 to 3 in the NFL draft. And in less than six weeks, on April 26, he will further define it when he picks the player he expects will be the Jets' long-awaited franchise quarterback.

Now he just better be right...

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Maccagnan's bold trade aims to solve Jets QB quandary

Jets acquire no. 3 pick in draft from Colts

Nov 2, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan on the sidelines before a game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

The Jets have spent years, even decades stuck in Quarterback Hell, in a never-ending search for an elusive franchise quarterback.

And Mike Maccagnan is serious about ending that run.

The Jets GM made the boldest move of his tenure on Saturday morning, making a stunning trade to move up even closer to the top of the 2018 NFL draft. He acquired the No. 3 overall pick from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 6 overall pick, the Jets' two second-rounders (37th and 49th) and a second-rounder in 2019...

Tyrann Mathieu, a player on the Jets' radar, has agreed to a deal with the Texans, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter is reporting the deal is worth one-year, $7 million for the Honey Badger.

The Jets were looking for some more help in their secondary, and even S Jamal Adams tried to recruit his LSU friend to New York.

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Daily News Live: Bowles, Maccagnan scour draft options at QB

Mar 16 | 6:51PM

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Jets aiming to draft a QB00:03:54

The Daily News Live panel discuss the Jets' quarterback options in this year's NFL Draft.

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Demario Davis surprised Jets 'didn't make me an offer'

Mar 16 | 10:30AM

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New York Jets inside linebacker Demario Davis against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. (Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports)

Former Jets linebacker Demario Davis said he felt surprised New York never made him an offer in free agency before he signed with the New Orleans Saints.

"The shocking thing was the Jets didn't make me an offer, so that made my decision easy because all I had to do was look at the contenders," Davis said, according to the New Orleans Advocare's Rod Walker. "It would have been something to weigh."

Jets re-sign CB Morris Claiborne to one-year deal

Mar 15 | 9:10PM

New York Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne breaks up a touchdown attempt to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry in the second half at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports)

The Jets have re-signed CB Morris Claiborne to a one-year, $7 million deal, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirms. The news was first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Last season, Claiborne started and played in all but one of the Jets' games. The 28-year-old had one interception and eight passes defended, as well as 46 tackles. He was drafted 6th overall by the Cowboys in the 2012.

Claiborne returns to an improved secondary after the Jets signed CB Trumaine Johnson to a five-year, $72.5 million deal. Johnson is expected to be the team's no. 1 corner.

The Jets have signed K Cairo Santos, the team announced. The deal is one-year, according to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

Santos, 26, endured an injury-riddled 2017. He injured his groin in preseason, kicked the first three games for the Chiefs before being placed on IR and released in September. He signed with the Bears in November, kicked in two games then was placed on IR again after re-injuring his groin. Between the two teams, he made four of his five field goal attempts.

For the first three years of Santos' career, he converted 84.3 percent of his field goal attempts overall and was 7 for 12 from 50 yards or more. Santos replaces the outgoing Chandler Catanzaro, who signed with the Buccanneers.

Santos was born in Brazil and first learned of American football when he came to St. Augustine, Florida as an exchange student before playing college football at Tulane. He's the first Brazilian to play in the NFL.

Analyzing the Jets' free-agent additions so far

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater drops back to pass during the first half an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer) (Mike Roemer/AP)

The top priority for the Jets was absolutely clear: Find a franchise quarterback. End the decades-long search. That's why they went so hard after free agent Kirk Cousins.

But they couldn't sign him. And so their never-ending question at quarterback remains.

Though it's hardly their fault that Cousins chose a better situation in Minnesota over the future potential of the Jets, the quarterback situation still looms big over what has otherwise been an incredibly successful start to free agency for GM Mike Maccagnan and the Jets...

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Seferian-Jenkins signs two-year deal with Jaguars

The Jets had recently upped their offer to Seferian-Jenkins

Mar 15 | 4:35PM

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New York Jets tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins catches a touchdown pass during the second half of their game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. The play was overturned on review for failure to maintain possession of the ball. (Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports)

TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins is leaving the Jets for the Jaguars, Seferian-Jenkins posted on Thursday while giving gratitude to the Jets. Seferian-Jenkins also visited with the Seahawks.

The deal is for two years and $10 million, and can be worth as much as $11 million, a source confirmed to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

The Jets increased their offer to Seferian-Jenkins Tuesday night, according to Vacchiano. The original offer was $8 million for two years, with not much guaranteed.

Which players could Jets target to fill remaining holes?

By Bent | Mar 15 | 3:30PM

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Nov 2, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan on the sidelines before a game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Bent, theJetsBlog.comFollow on Twitter: Now that the first wave of free agency is over, we can start to take stock of the outstanding needs for the Jets and potential ways to address these in free agency.

Defensive End

Mike Maccagnan downplayed the need for defensive line help following the departure of Muhammad Wilkerson, but the team probably still needs to add a starting-level player to replace him...

It became official on Tuesday afternoon when McCown re-signed with the Jets, according to his agent, Mike McCartney. The 38-year-old McCown returns on a one-year deal, according to an NFL source, that could pay him as much as $10 million.

The Jets officially announced the deal on Wednesday night.

And that is Part 2 of what SNY has reported is the Jets' Plan B at quarterback. Part 1 is signing 25-year-old Teddy Bridgewater -- and as SNY reported earlier on Tuesday, the Jets are currently engaged in contract talks with the soon-to-be-former Viking.

How does Avery Williamson fit in Jets' defensive system?

By Bent | Mar 14 | 12:00PM

Much of the attention surrounding the Jets' offseason moves so far has been centered around the quarterback position with the addition of Trumaine Johnson stealing most of the non-quarterback headlines. However, the Jets filled an important spot with the signing of former Titans linebacker Avery Williamson last night. Let's consider how well he fits into what the Jets typically like to do on defense.

On the face of it, this seems pretty straightforward; Williamson replaces Demario Davis as the team's Mike linebacker, and slides into his role. However, it might not be as simple as that.

Jets to sign Teddy Bridgewater on Wednesday

After the Jets missed out on quarterback Kirk Cousins, the team is set to sign Teddy Bridgewater and bring back Josh McCown.

The Jets' Plan B at quarterback now officially stands for (Teddy) Bridgewater.

With the quarterback that the Jets desired (Kirk Cousins) heading to Minnesota, the Jets quickly turned their attention to Bridgewater on Tuesday and they are now expecting to sign him when the free-agent signing period opens on Wednesday, according to an NFL source.

The Jet Stream: Reaction to Cousins signing with Vikings

Mar 13 | 3:00PM

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Jonas Schwartz and Willie Colon are back for another edition of The Jet Stream podcast, where they discuss missing out on Kirk Cousins and the possibility of signing Teddy Bridgewater. Later, the guys talk about where GM Mike Maccagnan should focus his attention as the free agency period starts.

Could RB Dion Lewis fit in Jets backfield?

Jets among teams showing interest in the Patriot

Mar 13 | 2:40PM

The Jets are looking to add some running back help. And if they can take a key player away from the New England Patriots, even better.

They'd accomplish both if they're able to sign free agent Dion Lewis, whom they are interested in according to an NFL source. The 27-year-old Lewis is one of the top backs on the market, and the Patriots are trying to lure him back too.